Six of the Bali Nine now headed for the bullet

Downer on six of the Bali Nine drug trafficers being set for the death sentence after an appeal raised their life sentences to death by firing squad. Downer said he was surprised that the convicts’ lawyers were not the first to be advised and that the Supreme Court had opted for more serious sentences than the prosecutors requested.
“In terms of the procedures, I must say they have been, to say the least, a little unusual in that the first we heard about this was through the media,” Downer said. “The Indonesian Supreme Court’s clearly taken the view that trafficking in heroin is a profoundly grave offense,” he added.
I have no great problems with that but I would just like them to take the view that mass murdering innocents a la Bali is likewise a profoundly grave offence.

5 comments

  • Kev,
    The Indonesians have hated us ever since Bob Menzies bought the F111’s, they know what they are for. Yes trafficking drugs is an abhorant crime, particularly the death and destruction that the shit they were bringing in would have caused. I disagree totally with what they have done but perhaps John Howard should remind the Indonesians how much aid Australia gives them. How much money we gave them in the wake of the tsunami. No more ‘appeasment’. Their death penalties should be immediatly commuted to life imrisonment by the President of Indonesia. Although I suppose these countries execute their own citizens for similar offences and the saying when in Rome do as the Romans. Australians who commit serious crimes in other countries should realise that they are subject to the laws of that country. Not doubt we would feel pretty miffed if the Indonesians told us we should execute one of their citizens if they were caught drug trafficking in Australia

  • Kev, I remember seeing signs in the streets of KL & Malacca in 1969 advising me that in Malaysia by law ‘rumour mongering’ was punishable by ‘death by hanging’. Not too dissimilar to the signs today in many countries warning of the consequences of drug trafficking. And in that era in Singapore you could attend public hangings at Changi Gaol on Saturday mornings for S$1.00, at that time A$0.34. Of course, we were not permitted to attend, not that we had wanted to. Australians travelling overseas should understand, that with the possible exception of ‘rumour mongering’, not much has changed since then. We should spare a thought for those who thought ‘their laws don’t apply to me’, or ‘I won’t get caught’, but do, & did.

  • The ‘computer teacher’ involved in planning Bali got eight years – a couple of months for each murder.
    I dont hold any sympathy for drug traffickers, but at the same time I dont want to see young Australians shot like dogs, even though they may be scumbags.

  • ansteybranchopolous

    there are some very happy Federal coppers who have secured their first kill by dobbing in the poor stupid drug mules to the barbarians in Indonesia – shame on them all fo rsentencing young lives t odeath.

  • I don’t agree with the death sentences but I don’t blame the feds either. If you strap drugs to your body then you are responsible for the outcome.